The tantrums over, Isla’s and mine, I returned downstairs. Zach was cooking, Beaty and Quentin were sitting at the kitchen island, Emma was helping Zach. I stood with my hands on the back of a bar chair and said, “I’m sorry. I want to apologize to you all for that outburst. It was rude and unkind and I can’t promise it will be the last but I will do my best. I just really miss her. I’m worried about Fraoch, he’s badly injured, and I’m freaking out.”
Zach said, “Apology accepted.”
Emma said, “I totally understand, but please remember, as much as you miss her, there is a baby and a little boy here who have been all but orphaned, we need to focus on them.”
“You’re saying there’s no time for my drama?”
“Nicer, I’m saying when you feel drama coming on, maybe go cuddle a baby or a toddler. Maybe if you’re comforting them you wouldn’t be such a bitch.”
“Damn, girlfriend. That is rough.”
“Yeah, well I’ve got morning sickness, a baby to deal with, a household to run, as well as a business. We all had to deal with a security guard who got his car stolen and woke up with a concussion in the woods, and my friends are lost too. So we all have stuff going on.”
“Yes, so what I’m saying is I’m sorry and will you forgive me?”
Emma nodded.
“Can we hug it out?”
“Yeah.” We hugged and then Zach threw his arms around us. And then Quentin and Beaty came and hugged us also and we all stood in the kitchen hugging. Then we all let go and I said, “I need a stiff drink. Wait, scratch that, I need two stiff drinks and more coming.”
Emma sighed.
Quentin said, “You know, Hayley, I’m not really comfortable with that. Have you been to a meeting in forever?”
“No.”
He shrugged. “Well, you know what I think.”
“Yeah, I do.” I exhaled. “And you’re right. I really want a Coke. Lots of ice. Please.” And because they were forgiving, and kind, it was given to me inside a frosty glass.
Sixty-four - Hayley
Quentin walked me out onto the sand dunes right behind the house for my jump back to Fraoch. “I’ll be back in a week,” I said. “they’ll be here by then, for sure. I’m just going to check in with Fraoch for a few days.”
“That’s why you’re going to come and go from here, on the property. So I can keep track of you, meet you when you arrive. This way if I see a storm on the south end I will know it’s Magnus or Katie— or someone nefarious.”
“But probably not nefarious, Magnus killed everyone who wanted him dead.”
“This week.” He asked, “You got your coffee, the other stuff?”
“Yep. All right here.” I patted my duffel bag full of pounds of coffee, two jars of dirty chai, two jars of a spicy virgin Bloody Mary mix that Zach concocted for me to drink instead of whisky, a few chocolate bars, vitamin chewies, and a pound of sugar, a few other fun things that I totally deserved since I was worried about Katie. Comfort foods were a requirement.
Also beside my feet were two boxed mattresses. One was for Lizbeth and Liam. One for me and Fraoch. I had a box of long burning fire-logs and boxes of matches. And lastly a gold watch I bought on Amazon for Fraoch.
“Okay, I’m coming back at Thanksgiving, the more I think bout it, that’s what’s going on. They’re waiting for the holiday to come back, to surprise us.”
“Yeah that makes sense, I guess.”
“Okay, see you then!”
I twisted the ends of the vessel, while Quentin backed away and I jumped home to Fraoch.
James met me, as agreed upon, because Fraoch was still mending and I knew I would have luggage. James loaded it on a trailer behind one of the ATVs, while I tried to get up on my feet while feeling terrible. This many jumps in a matter of days was not fun.
“Magnus and Katie there?”
“Nope. How was the hunt?”
“Alright, yeah, it was fine. Those Campbell men, I tell you, Hayley, they are something else... that was...” He tossed my bag onto the trailer. “I’m missing real food. Did you go to the Turtle?”
“Nah, just hung out at the house, and turned around and came home.”
“It got pretty freaky here once you guys left, and lonely. It dawned on me that anything could happen and I’d be all alone during it.”